


Hope (10)

by EternalHope7



Series: Hope Series [10]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Dark Clark Kent, Emotional Manipulation, Evil Clark Kent, Lazarus Pit (DCU), Lazarus Pit Madness, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Resurrection, Suicide Threats, Threats of Violence, Unhealthy Relationships, temporary insanity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28103799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalHope7/pseuds/EternalHope7
Summary: Several of Bruce's children waited for them. Clark didn't appreciate the lengths the man was willing to go to in order to protect them from him. Driven to keep Bruce from ever being willing to follow through with his threat, the Kryptonian crossed the only other line his love never could.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
Series: Hope Series [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904974
Comments: 16
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

Four heartbeats ahead. Slow. Quiet. Clark smirked as he flew low over the ice. Bruce was silent in his grasp, though the man's hands were clenched tightly around his shoulders.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The Kryptonian asked. His love stayed quiet. Clark glided into the Fortress and let the man down. Bruce wouldn't look at him. Behind them, in the shadows of the jagged ice outcroppings, a cape lightly rustled as it scrapped across the ice. Had Bruce noticed them yet? Clark wasn't sure. The Kryptonian didn't bother dodging the batarang Damian flung at him. He let the metal strike him and fall to the floor. Jason rained bullets down on him from the corner of the room. Clark shifted slightly to watch each ricochet - he wouldn't have Bruce be accidentally hurt by the young man. When Jason paused for the slightest second to reload Clark struck. He ignored the descending forms of Barbara and Dick to flint forward and take Jason by the throat. He lifted the human high and watched as Jason clawed at his throat. Every single human he'd done that to over these past few weeks had done the same. He knew it was instinct, but still. To try to pry _his_ hands off? Clark smirked at the bright red helmet. A small boot snapped into and slid off Clark's back. More batarangs hit him and clanged against the floor as Dick's batons glanced off the Kryptonian's right arm.

"So you four are how Waller knew where we would be," Clark said. "I'm surprised you'd do that to your father. She threatened him, you know."

"Better he..." Jason gasped for breath, "be with... her than you, you.... fucking... genocidal lunatic!"

"Father deserves better than you," Damian chimed in. Keeping his hold on Jason tight, Clark turned towards the boy as the others continued to rain blows down on him. It was strange that the children were attacking him with normal weapons. While Bruce had employed a considerable amount of Kryptonite against Clark in the earlier days, he knew the man had to have more secreted away. He snapped a hand out to take the girl by the neck as well.

"Barbara!" Dick hammered his batons into the man's elbows.

"Let them go, Clark." Bruce didn't even raise his voice. The Kryptonian smiled as he looked back to- His smile froze. The human had picked up the first batarang. He held it to his own throat. The room blurred by as the Kryptonian threw the children down and then flew at the man to grab hold of his wrist.

" _How dare you,_ " Clark hissed. The bones in Bruce's wrist creaked in the Kryptonian's grasp. The man didn't wince. His eyes remained fixed on Clark's.

"It's my life to give," he said.

"No," Clark told him, "it's not."

"My children are going to leave here unharmed."

"You would never kill yourself," the Kryptonian said. "You know what would happen if you did." Bruce flashed his billionaire smile.

"I'd still hurt you. That'd give them a chance." Clark didn't need to use his gifts or the lasso to know the man was telling the truth. He'd do it if Clark pushed this further. The alien gritted his teeth. Bruce looked beyond him as his eyes went distant. "I'd finally get to see mother and father again," he quietly murmured. Clark's heart clenched at his wistful tone. He turned red eyes on the children.

" _Get. Out_." None of them flinched at his snarl. Just like their father.

"Go," Bruce encouraged them. "I don't want you using anyone else to try to rescue me again, understood?" The four reluctantly nodded. Clark didn't look as they silently left. Once he could no longer hear footsteps or extra heartbeats the alien leaned close to his love.

"If you ever do something that _stupid_ again," he whispered, "I'll pick a city, raze it to the ground, and make you watch. Drop the batarang. Now." Bruce purposefully waited a moment before he let the weapon slip from his hand. Clark burned it to a bubbling puddle before he let go of Bruce and stepped back from him. The human had threatened his own life. He'd meant it. Clark... He turned and flew out of the Fortress.


	2. Chapter 2

Wayne Manor was silent. Empty. Not even Alfred was there. Clark walked the dark hallways and studied the many pictures on the walls. Nearly all of them were of Bruce's many children and his butler. The Kryptonian was certain he could find them if he really looked, but the memory of his boyfriend holding the batarang to his own neck made Clark shudder. No, the man's family could wait. He didn't want to see that again so soon. Clark's hands clenched and he took a shuddering breath. Bruce was his. _His_. He needed a way to ensure the man could never make good on his threat. How, though? Clark paused in front of a group photo of the family and ran his hand over Bruce's smiling face.

He could always break the man's hands, he supposed. Cripple the man in such a way that he couldn't hurt himself. It'd be easy to force him into being physically dependent on Clark, but the thought of actually hurting him made the Kryptonian's stomach curl. There was always the chance he could accidentally go too far. Hurt Bruce more than he intended to. Besides, the man wouldn't just sit by and let him do it. He'd fight. It wouldn't matter that the human couldn't win, Bruce never gave up. It would have to be emotional then. Something that would cause Bruce to never even entertain the thought of killing himself again. What, though? Should he find the man's family? They wouldn't simply sit by and let themselves be used as hostages.

Clark walked on and entered the dark living room. More pictures lined the walls, but the left wall was nearly empty. Only one photo hung there. An old picture of a younger Bruce with his parents. It was the only one he kept of them out here - the rest were locked away in a place Clark was certain only Alfred knew of. The alien walked up to it. He knew the picture by heart now. The man's father and mother stood on either side of him, both having leaned down to throw their arms over the boy's shoulders. Bruce stood in the middle and positively beamed at the camera. Clark could still remember the first time he'd laid eyes on it. That wide smile, free of pain and guilt. That Clark had never seen him smile like that in any other setting had helped him realize just how broken his boyfriend truly was. It had been a humbling moment back then. Now it just made Clark grimace. Bruce's parents had always had a part of him no one else could. Not even the Kryptonian, for all the love that was between them. He doubted that even Alfred or the man's children had it. No. The very center of Bruce's heart was for his mother and father alone. Clark backed away from the photo as he thought of the wistful tone in the man's voice. He wouldn't risk breaking something so precious to Bruce. Couldn't risk it, now that Bruce had shown how willing he was to end it all. Clark would have to be more careful from here on out. Have the AI of his parents watch the man during his every waking moments. To think of coming home and seeing Bruce... _No_.

Clark wouldn't let that happen. There had to be a way to force the man to live. To ensure that he'd never again look at death as a viable option. How, though? Clark looked at the picture again. Bruce's pure smile... Clark could feel the idea taking root. Bruce's smile. The one part of his heart no one else had. Clark could have it. _Would_ have it. The one way to ensure that his human would never kill himself. The alien made his way back through the winding hallways and and headed for the door. He walked out into the dimming sunlight and started for the graveyard. Thomas and Martha Wayne would help him save and keep their son's life.


	3. Chapter 3

Flying the two coffins out to the jungle remains of Ra's al Ghul's hideout had taken time and care. He'd had to carefully balance both the coffins, knowing that if one slipped even slightly he could lose what little was left inside. Clark had peered through the wood as he dug them out. Only the couple's delicate, brittle bones had remained. He hadn't dared touch them.

Clark flew lower, feeling the warm water of the Lazarus pit lap at his legs as he entered it. He bent at the waist to lower the two coffins in and the man pulled the lids up. The bubbling liquid rushed into the coffins and Clark leaned forward to watch the mysterious pit at work. Green fumes rose from the waters as it pooled around the bones of the Waynes. Would it...? The Kryptonian watched in fascination as the cracks in them closed, flickering red veins and flesh slowly growing out from the healing bones. Pink and red meat gradually gave way to white skin. Hair sprouted and grew, Martha's long locks splaying wide in the ripples of the pool. Through the bright green light Clark watched as nails regrew and lips thickened and pinked. Delicate eyelashes curled out from the tips of closed eyes.

Thomas came to first. The man reached for the lid and the wood cracked. Splintered under his clenching fingers as he pushed himself up and reached for Clark. The Kryptonian reached down to take the man's wrist. Martha's eyes shot wide, nothing human shining in them as her mouth opened in a voiceless, underwater scream. She lurched up out of her coffin and lunged for him. Clark let the woman claw at him as he hoisted Thomas up out of the other coffin. Even though he was only skin and bones, the Kryptonian could still see so much resemblance between him and his son. He swept his cape over the two to cover them before he carefully held them to his chest. Strong teeth clamped onto his neck as Bruce's father tried to bite his throat out. Clark smiled at the two as they struggled in his grasp. Their maniac energy would fade soon. All he had to do was wait. Once the two exhausted themselves he'd fly them back to the mansion and find them clothes. After that, he thought as Martha scraped her nails against the thick fabric, he'd take them to their new home. Clark made sure he had a firm grip on the struggling couple before he slowly took to the air.


End file.
